July 2016

[primarynoodle]

Hopefully this works...

So we can keep in touch and pass on words of wisdom!

Perhaps someone clever could link to the stats?

Better pic of Mo - 12 days old today

He's so cheeky dats!

Hello ladies & beautiful babies, I have been reading along but mostly stuck inside the newborn bubble of staring at and feeding a tiny baby!

Dats I think it was you that said about enjoying the three to four dynamic. We have a massive gap between DD and Rafferty and it's cheesy but I am so glad we decided to go again after being adamant for years we only wanted one feeling like a very complete family!

Beaut- you are a superhero! DH owes you a weekend or two away in the future, I think sometimes when they have friends who come 'home' they revert back to being 18 ( or thinking they are) not helpful with a tiny newborn though. for you, sounds like mixed feeding is going well. Hope Teddy is ok this morning.

Breastfeeding is going well for us, he's a greedy boy which is good as I love a chubby baby he didn't loose anything at his 5 day check on Friday so will see if he's keeping it up on weds for his 10 day check.

We are co sleeping as he hates the Moses basket and I would rather get some sleep at this point than none.. Although it's not really the weather for having a tiny baby stuck on your chest all night I secretly quite like it. He's sleeping with me in my vest so he's not going anywhere then moving into his Moses basket at about 6.30 when the suns come up as he doesn't seem to mind it then.

Have attached a pic - only one I have on the iPad.

Crazy to think this time last week nearly exactly he was born, feels in someways like he's been here much longer!

Hope everyone's doing ok this morning.

He's adorable rolly! No wonder you don't mind him co sleeping, you can't have too many cuddles from that beautiful little chap.

Co sleeping is a total sanity saviour. Started on day 5 when because Tessa would wake up as soon as she was in the moses basket. I ended up falling asleep with her on my chest one night and thought, well if this is going to happen I might as well do it properly and safely. Put a bed guard up and haven't looked back!

Seems to be many of us who had no intention of cosleeping pre-baby who are now cosleeping most of the time! I would get no sleep if I hadn't taken the side off the crib and made it a cosleeper.

Can I ask those of you who are second+ time mums, am I going to need breastpads the whole time I am breastfeeding?! It's going to cost me a fortune! The reusable cotton ones are shite, I leak like a tap!

primary it really depends. I didn't. But then I didn't need them during pregnancy and some people do. I think usually you'll reach a point where your supply is regulated and you won't get drippage - breastfeeding a few weeks down the line looks very different to the newborn era.

Hi all, I'm finally braving posting having lurked for the whole of my pregnancy! My dd was born 11th July and I'm suffering with anxiety over what seem like silly questions that I then can't find the answers to. So I'm hoping you will help me out?!

• what do babies wear!? This is stressing me out most! How do you decide what to put them in? Lots of people have bought us dungarees/rompers- are these ok with a vest underneath with her arms and legs out? How do you decide if she needs socks? If you put her in a dress do you just put vest underneath and leave arms and legs exposed?

• blankets- I'm happy with cellular blankets, but what's the point of the thicker fleece blankets? We have a lovely peter rabbit one but obviously can't use this on her at night right now -when do these get used?

Can you tell this is my first time! Honestly it just totally overwhelms me silly questions like these- why don't babies come with manuals!

Hi Sophie. No silly questions here!

If you feel the baby's upper chest or back near the neck that should indicate your baby's core temp I.e. If they are too hot/cold or just right. Feeling that should give you an indication of if you have dressed them appropriately.

Recently my newborn has worn:
A nappy on the really hot days and a short sleeved vest at night
A vest on pretty hot days and just a sleep suit at night
A summery outfit (dress/tshirt+leggings/vest+leggings) on mild days with no vest underneath but a cardigan if it starts to get chilly.

Socks on if we are going out and the weather is no hotter than mild I.e. About 18degrees - but every baby is different and my daughter seems to be quite a 'hot' child, rely on your instincts as much as you can alongside any advice.

And in terms of blankets - we have only used Muslims orcellular blankets so far and mostly not at all but my godson is an October baby and I remember him being covered in fleecy blankets when out and about. They also make a good, portable 'mat' to lie baby on when visiting friends houses.

Muslins**

iPad autocorrect fail!!

I texted a friend recently and told her I'd sat on a giant Muslim on the beach...

Afternoon, may I join? I'm part of the August group, but my daughter was born at 35 wks last Wednesday. No intervention needed and she's doing great, just teeny!

Oh dats you poor thing, and your poor poor bum and general under carriage area. Have you had cream from the docs?? You shouldn't have to keep suffering. Mine were constantly bleeding I literally had to use two pads at a time, to make sure I was covered from all angles. What do you think has caused the rash? Omg you're so brave for even investigating the situation 'down there' ! I haven't so much as poked, looked or anything. Filled with fear I am!!

cheery Maurice is a gorgeous chunky monkey!!

mrsrolly Rafferty is a little gem! Great news on the feeding front that's amazing! He must love his mammas milk!! Totally don't blame you on the co sleeping front!! You cuddle that cherub all night long!

orimary I think it does depend so not sure.. I've always been a leaker :/ but I know others who have sacked them off after the newborn stage

Welcome sophie it's totally normal!! I second everything primary said! Ahh need to dash sorry

I'm a cosleeper too. I think that as long as you're doing it safely, it makes you a better parent because you're less sleep deprived. You've more energy for your babies and your partner - family life is just better!

Thanks primary. I don't know why it bugs me so much about what she's wearing. A lot of it is worrying about what other people will think if I haven't dressed her right- unlike me as normally I don't give a flying what other people think!
So in summer if you were going out for a walk you would just go in what she already had on and take a cardigan/hat with you and bung on a pair of socks - as temperatures would be similar in your house to outside? In winter obviously you would bundle them up as its much colder out than in your house with the heating on? Wow I feel stupid asking these questions x

As an unintentional co-sleeper (ie. daughter falls asleep on my chest when I keep her upright for reflux after feed then I fall asleep cos I'm so knackered!!), is that actually safe? I keep reading its not safe for them to lie on their front on you incase they are sick in the "prone" position.

welcome belager and sophie! gorgeous dinky babe belager! :D

primary - I have used about 5 breastpads the entire time and DD is getting on for 5 weeks. I mainly leak at night and even then just a bit, plus as I dont wear a bra for bed, what on earth would I put them in?! So when I fed DD in the night, wrapped a muslin around the other one to catch the drips! The lasinoh ones are pretty good I've never had a problem with them. If you leak a lot, have you seen breast shells? They collect the milk so you can use it for a feed! I don't leak enough for that. Have you thought about washable pads to save money?

Dolly have you ever used breastshells? They are v useful but make you look like you've got cones for boobs! Also the milk leaks out of mine if you lean forward as I learnt in the middle of tesco while wearing a grey sweatshirt . Washable ones just aren't cutting it, my boobs are like a river!

Anyone got any tips for how to start encouraging baby to go longer between feeds at night?

And yep Sophia we just take a cardigan,muslin and light blanket everywhere just in case - not that we need it at the moment! I think by the time it gets a little warmer you'll feel more confident anyway.. There's so much pressure on us to be doing everything 'right' I totally get the anxiety of it all!

What a waste of milk leaking it out primary! No not used them just thought they sounded fab but perhaps not unless you like the madonna look!

How long is little one going between feeds at nights and how long are you feeding for?

Oh god, I did it again. I typed a massive reply to everyone, only for my fat fingers to hit a link and lose it. Arrrrttgggjjjjjjjhhhhhhjhhhhhhh!!!!

To summarise:

• Breast pads. Washable don't work for primary; has anyone else had success with them? I thought they might be kinder to raw nips than disposable.

• Swamp monster green/black boo. Had totally failed to connect this to iron tablets till I read this thread. Thank you all for solving a little toilet mystery for me.

• Beaut your OH needs to do some serious recompensing.

• I think my armpit lump is reducing in size. Massaging it in the shower each morning as suggested by several of you guys. So bloody relieved.

Anyone else having major wind issues post birth? My guts absolutely stink. Is this to do with organs and things slithering back into place maybe?

DH starts back at work this week. I have no idea how I'm going to cope without him. He has been absolutely bloody golden and for all the arguments we've had over the years, and however much he has pissed me off, I have to hand it to him - he has kept me sane, fed, watered and supplied with clean clothes over the last two weeks and he hasn't complained once. He has also changed ten times the nappies that I have.

His nipples aren't bleeding, mind you.

I would bet your stinky guts are iron related too bluebell ! X

Yup defo iron related bluebell - black poo here too.

Also nips are agony today! New heights of boob pain. All advice online is that its a bad latch or thrush potentially....but reading all the posts on here I'm thinking its part of the breastfeeding process? Getting pain post feed now too - really sore!

How sore cheery? If beyond first ten seconds of agony and really hurting then that's no good. I think thrush is a lot of pain even when not feeding though I could be wrong!

Indians it is fine, breast milk is digested more efficiently than formula so a bf baby can go a few days sometimes without pooing though if it we're me I would keep an eye on it as she is so young and mention to HV if it continues as they seem keen on dirty nappies as a sign of weight gain but it's very likely she will be perfectly fine. My friends little boy didn't used to go for five days in a row causing her no end of worry, he was absolutely fine he just didn't need to go!

Indians can't help with coated tongue sorry xx formula will mess up your supply to some extent so if you give formula at night and don't express your boobs will naturally adjust to not needing that feed and reduce supply accordingly. That's not a bad thing it's just harder to increase if you want to later on ur lots of feeding at that time each night to get it back. I often sit 9-10 expressing the final bottle. It's then similar to the time of the final feed. If you go for formula you might feel slightly engorged so have a look online how to reduce feeds. I would express a bit to relieve pressure and then each night express less and less so your boobs reduce supply slowly. Not sure if that's textbook but it's how i would do it. Xx